A Wild Idea
by MazNyk
Summary: Maybe they were smart for not crossing the bridge. It was a wild idea for her to go alone in the first place. She couldn't have guessed how "wild" her life was about to get. It's that part she loves the most... T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Harvest Moon FanFic here and I'm really excited. I realized that there weren't very many stories about Shea on the site, and, after reading my fill and still feeling unsatisfied, I've decided to write my own. I'd love some feedback. I hope to finish the story within the month so waiting for the next chapter won't be long.

I don't own anything related to Harvest Moon. Thank you.

"Today's the day!" Chelsea sang to herself as she briskly fed her chickens and ran out the coop. She had gotten to Taro's house when she realized with a jolt that she had forgotten about her cow, Mooka , and quickly changed direction.

"I'm sorry baby! I almost forgot about you." The young heifer had been the newest addition to her farm, and had been a gift from Taro himself. As she brushed her and talked to her, the cow could feel Chelsea's excitement. Gannon had arrived this morning and announced that the bridge leading to what looked like a jungle had been complete. Chelsea's mind was swimming with the possibilities of what awaited her today. When the bridge to the forest had been completed, Chelsea had met the mischievous Witch Princess and even the Harvest Goddess herself! Her mind couldn't fathom what sort of people and wildlife possibly laid beyond this new bridge. Perhaps she'd encounter hundreds of harvest sprites living in a thousand-year-old tree. Or she'd discover rare and exotic plants and food that could spark a new festival, or at the very least Pierre's full attention. What if there are wild animals just waiting to tear her limb from limb and eat her alive!

"Ahhhhhh!!!!" she screamed as her wild imagination got the better of her. She was standing in front of Taro's house again and noticed a startled looking Elliot at the doorway.

"W…w…what's wrong!?! What happened?!?" the pale, and noticeably alarmed, boy shrieked.

"She realized how pasty you are…" came from Natalie who was inside unfazed.

"Sorry, Elliot," Chelsea said slightly embarrassed rubbing her hand behind her head, "I was thinking about the new bridge, and sort of scared myself when I thought of being viciously mauled by feral animals. Hehe…" This comment however sent Elliot into more alarm as he ran inside yelling for Taro to come out and talk some sense into her. Chelsea sighed as she prepared herself for the lecture that awaited her. You'd think he was her dad or something, the way the short, obnoxious man acted towards her.

"That Jungle can be very dangerous!" he began, "You need to stay focused and keep your eyes and ears open"

"What about the animals Grandpa? Tell her!" chimed the now annoying Elliot standing behind him.

"Nobody's talking to you" Taro barked as he rewarded Elliot with a smack of his stick. The poor boy hobbled slightly, grumbled, and retreated back into his dwelling.

"Ahem!" The old man cleared his throat, "As I was saying, you need to keep focused if you plan to put yourself in unknown territory…"

"I am focused! Honestly." This was taking too long and she wanted to get going.

"You mean focused like you were this morning when you forgot about your cow?" He retorted.

"I…" she began, but was at a loss of words. 'How does he know?' she thought.

"Anyway, be safe. I'll be checking that you're here in the morning just to be sure. This Island depends on you. We can't have you dying on us…Oh, and that breeze is telling me it'll be sunny tomorrow. Make sure you have energy left to water your plants."

"Ok. Thanks." Chelsea concluded as she ran off towards her destination.

Lanna happened to notice her running past. Chelsea had come to like her, though she was very nosey and was always itching for gossip.

"I see how it is! Go ahead and run past me like I don't exist!" The former pop-diva scoffed, jokingly of course.

"Hey, Lanna. I'm sorry, but it's almost twelve and Taro was holding me up and the bridge…"

"Calm down girl! Don't get your panties in a bunch." She stuck her tongue out.

Chelsea slightly cringed, "I really don't like that saying"

"Haha! I know, that's why I say it so much. Aren't I the greatest friend you could have?" She gave Chelsea a somewhat forceful hug and flipped her hair back, "Well, go ahead and do whatever it was that you were doing. I'm off to the beach to visit Mr. Dark and Hansome!"

'That's not really what I'd call Denny, but ok..." Chelsea thought as the two went their separate ways. At last, she could see the bridge and all of its mysterious allure. Gannon was a pro at his work, that's for sure. Though the bridge was made from wood, it seemed as solid and unmovable as a rock. It didn't even creek under her wait. Crossing over, it seemed as if she was transported into another world. The trees were strange and draped with vines, it smelt wet and surprisingly fruity, even the 'quiet' sounded unusual and new. She didn't move too far when in sprinkled a harvest sprite.

"Hello Chelsea! I'm a Harvest sprite. I live in this jungle. Welcome!"

"I was right! So where's the thousand-year-old tree you guys live in? Is it powered by magic?!?"

"Uh…it's actually a ten-thousand-year-old-tree which is not in the jungle… but anyway…you know, there are two native Islanders that live around here. Their tribe has lived on this Island for generations. You should meet them! They're a little odd, but I think you'll get along. Good Luck!...hopefully you don't become dinner…"

"What!?"

"Nothing. Bye!" and he disappeared in a cloud of sparkles just as he had appeared.

Chelsea began her trek admiring the flora and the strangeness. 'So there _are_ people here! I can't wait.' she merrily thought to herself. She then heard a rustling in the bushes coming straight for her. She held back a scream as a wild pig emerged. Letting out a sigh of relief she advanced towards it. The little snorker was eating something or another and was actually kind of cute. She knelt down to pet it when out of nowhere came a spear headed straight for her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" her terrified scream could've broken glass. The pig went running for its life, and she toppled backwards as the spear landed right between her legs. She was speechless and frozen with shock. Out of the trees leapt a dark skinned boy in animal skins wielding a knife. 'I should've stayed home like Elliot wanted' the petrified girl thought as she swallowed.

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That's it for the first chapter! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. Holy crap! It's 1:40 AM. Hehe. Well I'd love to hear feedback. We officially meet Shea in the next chapter.


	2. Spears, Knives, and Friendship

Wow! I can't believe people actually commented on my story. Thanks guys! It means so much to me.

I don't own anything related to Harvest Moon. Thank you.

Both the farm girl and the jungle boy were frozen in place, mostly out of fear but partially out of sheer astonishment. Chelsea's first instinct was to run- but this fear subsided as she realized that he wasn't attacking her anymore. Still, she hadn't let her guard down just yet. After all, he was still wielding his knife and, by looking at his tiger-printed apparel, she could guess he knew how to use it. He took a weary step forward and contorted his face in confusion. 'I'm gonna die! Oh Goddess, I'm gonna die!' she panicked to herself. He examined himself, staring at his chest and hands, and looked back to her with his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. She watched him slowly return the knife to its sheath as he glared at her more intensely. Then out of nowhere he spun around and ran in the opposite direction. It happened so fast he literally left a trail of wind behind him.

Chelsea grabbed her chest and took a deep breath – in and out. "What just happened!?!?" She shouted out to no one in particular finally getting up. "That fricken harvest sprite could've told me crazed half-naked jungle boys would attack me or something! He couldn't even give me a decent warning! I mean, what the fu-"

"Hey!" Chimed in the harvest sprite from before, as the sparkles slowly faded around him, "Now that's not being very grateful. After all, I did wish you good luck…"

"You…"

"I bet he was just as scared as you were. I mean, otherwise he wouldn't have thought twice about lunging in for the kill. He lives by hunting after all."

"Couldn't you have warned me about that before? It's a little late to bring that up! Or, how about the fact that his clothes came from a fricken tiger?!? A tiger! You conveniently left out the fact that there are tigers here!" She was in a fuming panic, "Really now, what else should you tell me… you… uh… whatever your name is?"

"It's Manfred. And you're not as nice as you seemed when we first met…" he pouted, "How are you supposed to make friends with the natives if you scream at them for not mentioning that there happens to be a few wildcats roaming about?"

'He's obnoxious! I'm going to die out here because of his backwards thinking.' It took everything for her not to hurt him. 'Calm down, Chelsea. Remember that the Harvest Goddess wouldn't like that.' She told herself.

"Anyway," Manfred continued, "That _is_ his spear. It's only right that you give it back. Otherwise, you'd be _stealing_. Then I guess he'd _have_ to come back and _kill_ you…"

"What!?!?!" She pulled the spear out of the dirt. It was like the nightmare was never ending.

"He lives that way," the sprite pointed, proceeding to wave his arm in front of him, disappearing once again. Chelsea ran as fast as she could in that direction.

---

"Wada!!! Wada!!!" The jungle boy screamed as he ran into his dwelling. The other, and much older, man inside was carefully mixing potions when the younger one burst through the door screaming, "Wada, help!!!" Wada jumped at the sudden and unreasonably loud noise as he attempted to avoid spilling the contents of his concoction. He got up in a huff, visibly annoyed.

"…What?..." the man finally asked. However, before the boy could explain there was knocking at the door. This made Wada raise an eyebrow while the boy brandished his knife again.

'Okay, Chelsea…' she exhaled as she thought, 'you can't show him that you're scared. You'll just give him the spear he tried to kill you with, and leave.' Nobody opened the door so she opened it herself. She saw the two just standing there in shock. "Oh! Sorry-"

"…What that?! Is it…dangerous?" shouted her knife-wielding buddy from beforehand. He looked towards Wada who stared at Chelsea as if she were a ghost, not saying anything. "…Strange animal. First time I see it…" the younger one continued. He tilted his head to the side and contorted his face as he had previously done. He turned to Wada and struggled to find the words for what he was about to say, "Is it…uh…is it…food?"

"What?!?" Chelsea jumped, dropping the spear she had planned on returning. "Goddess, they're cannibals!" And she quickly turned to leave. That stupid Manfred didn't warn her about this either.

"…Wait!" Wada yelled. "She…human…like us."

Chelsea turned around, half outside. 'What… now?' she thought, her gaze shifting back and forth confusedly between the two. Then she knelt down and picked up the spear again. "You…um…left this," she quietly said holding it in front of her, arms completely outstretched. The younger of the two walked up to her and took it, but not before he looked down and back up at her.

"You really…a human?"

'Well of course I am!' she thought, 'What kind of question was that? Wait!...They're…they're talking to me. He speaks English?' Chelsea got excited again. She could ask him anything now. She'd say anything and he'd understand. With thousands of options in responses, she merely answered, "Yes," and nodded.

"Good! Humans are friends. You not food. Wada told me." He smiled, "What your name?" It appeared that a 'yes' was all that was needed to convince him of her humanity. He sure was strange, but at least they were getting to introductions.

"My name's Chelsea!"

"Chel-sea…Chelsea." He repeated.

"Yep."

"You be friends with me. Okay?"

"Um…alrighty. Sure, I'll be your friend. What's _your_ name?"

"Shea! And this Wada!" Wada just nodded in her direction, "Shea very happy. Me no see human before. Visit lots, Chelsea!" She laughed a little at his grammar. The situation was definitely a lot better. She was glad that they weren't really cannibals.

"Sure, I'll visit a lot. I didn't know there were people living here until today. I can't believe I've met native Islanders! Nobody in town will believe this." The word town seemed to catch Wada's attention but he still stayed silent.

"Town?" Shea questioned.

"You know, where everybody lives. It's right over the bridge that was just built."

"Chelsea not alone?" He thought for a moment, "Other people come here too?" He looked a little worried, but for what she couldn't guess. Maybe it was the thought of so many new people.

"I don't think anyone else will come to the jungle. Nobody would go with me today because they were scared." Shea then puffed up his chest and grinned.

"Chelsea brave! Shea brave too! Only the brave and strong stay alive in jungle."

"Well you scared me before…" she nervously said rubbing her hand behind her head.

"Sorry." He quickly said. "Shea no know Chelsea there. Shea hunt pig for dinner and- Gah!" he blurted, eyes wide. "No have dinner!" the realization evident on his reddening face. "Me go back and hunt…uh…Chelsea come again tomorrow, okay!"

"Okay. I should go back anyway. It was nice meeting you, Shea. Oh, and you too Wada. Bye!" She waved as she left and headed towards the bridge. She'd have to work fast tomorrow morning too if she was going to get there at a good time. She crossed over the bridge and stopped by the diner. It was quite an eventful afternoon that she had, and dinner was sounding good for someone who hadn't eaten lunch. As usual Denny and Lanna were at a table. Denny saw her first.

"Chelsea! You're not dead!" He exclaimed.

"*sigh* Hello to you too, Denny. Hey, Lanna. I'm guessing you told him where I went today."

"Duh! This island is just begging for something to happen, and today _you_ happened." Lanna stated matter-of-factly, "So sit down and tell us what happened already. I'm so tired of waiting!"

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Tada! Chapter two! I know it's not romantic or anything right now, but they've only just met. I should have chapter 3 up within the next few days. Please review! I'd love to hear your feedback so I can make it better.


	3. Early Bird

Sorry it took so long to post. I had gotten sick and took a few days to relax and heal. Forgive me! Anyway, here's the chapter.

I don't own anything related to Harvest Moon. Thank you.

* * *

'Great. Just great. What am I supposed to do?' she thought as the pair forced her into a chair and stared at her intensely. Chelsea wanted so badly to tell someone about the strange Islanders she met, but Lanna was definitely not at the top of her list. The blonde was always itching for gossip, contorting it, and then spreading it like wildfire. Besides, Shea had seemed uncomfortable when she mentioned other people. Denny was the type who would gather a party of people, leading them off into the jungle to "welcome" the islanders to their own island. Chelsea could just imagine how overwhelmed her new friends would be. Even worse, she knew Denny would end up getting someone mauled by wild animals in the process. 'No, I can't tell them. I'll just beat around the bush.'

"We're waiting!" Blurted an annoyed Lanna. Chelsea looked to Denny who was nearly bouncing out of his chair with excitement.

"Well…ok! I was really nervous at first. There were all of these weird trees and noises…Oh, and I got really scared when this wild…um…"

"Wild what!?!" Exclaimed Denny, "Was it a bear? It's a man eating plant, isn't it?!"

"Well…" Chelsea was really bad at lying.

"Oooh! I bet she met a 'Tarzan' man! Tahaha!" Lanna teased.

"NO!!! I DIDN'T! I SWEAR!" was the farm girl's panicked answer.

"Girl, chill. I was just kidding. Don't get your panties…"

"Stop it! I hate it when you say that!" Chelsea got up.

"Wait, Chels." Denny cut in, "Lanna's just joking around. We've been waiting all day for you to come back. Please don't leave." He smiled, trying to use his big brown eyes to his advantage.

Chelsea sighed, defeated. "Fine, but let's focus on dinner. I don't feel like relaying my day for you anymore…"

"Yeah! Sure thing, Chels." He put his arm around her and presented her a menu. "What'll it be? I'll pay."

"Denny!" Chelsea looked down embarrassed and flattered at the same time, "You really don't have to…"

"Yeah. You really _don't_." Lanna nearly growled out. The former pop-star's eyes focused on Denny's arm. Apparently Denny didn't hear her because he continued on.

"I won't take no for an answer. How about curry rice? Hm?" How could she refuse free food. Especially since building the bridge had depleted her funds.

"If that's ok with you, sure. I'm starving!" her stomach grumbled.

"Haha! I can hear. Just know that you're telling me about your jungle adventure tomorrow." He quickly strutted off to order the food. Chelsea sat there knowing she had fallen for his plan.

---

The next morning Chelsea was barely awake in bed when her door flew open.

"Chelsea!!! Did you make it back alive?!?" Hollered Taro who never bothered to knock anyway.

"What!?! Who?!?!" Chelsea's eyes opened in panic as she wrestled with her blanket and met the floor with a thunk.

"Ah. Good morning. I was worried I would have to call on a search party. Well, it's 3:40 . You can start your day early today." Chelsea groaned, still laying in a tangled mess on the floor.

"Can't I go back to sleep until 6?"

"Haha. Oh course not! A farm doesn't run while you sleep. Besides, you were already awake." He grinned, his white mustache slightly wiggling.

"Uhg…fine. I'll get to work. Taro, could you please knock next time?" But the old geezer had already left. She closed the door, and got ready for the day ahead of her.

It was still a little dark outside when she started, but at least the sun wasn't beating down on her. The chickens seemed surprised to see her, but were none the less happy to be fed. By the time she got to her cow, Chelsea was wide awake and full of energy. "Hello baby! You won't believe who I'm going to see today…" she cooed. She hadn't forgotten what she promised Shea. It was a good thing that Taro had woke her up early.

By the time she finished work it was ran past Taro's house hoping not to be seen. Her escape was halted as she smacked into Julia, knocking her down.

"I'm so sorry, Julia! I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," the blonde beauty smiled. She always seemed to smile no matter the situation, "Are you alright? You look like you were running away from something. Nobody hurt you right?"

"Oh no! Haha! I…well I was just trying to avoid getting caught up at Taro's house. I have something very important to do today." Julia smiled at this, relieved. The animal-loving babe was always there for Chelsea, and Chelsea knew that she could always count on her.

"Well, I won't hold you up then. Maybe when you're done we can chat. I have something I really want to tell you…" Chelsea saw a slight blush on Julia's cheeks.

"*gasp* Is it about a boy?" Chelsea whispered back. Julia nodded. "Ok, I'll come over as soon as I'm done tonight!" Chelsea then ran off to her destination. She cut across the field and between the diner and café in order to avoid Lanna. When she got to the bridge she nearly exploded from excitement. As soon as she got to the other side her cheerful mood was slightly dampened when she laid her eyes on Manfred pacing back and forth. He ran up to her grinning.

"You get along with Wada and Shea! And they didn't try to eat you! Hooray!" The little magical man exclaimed.

"You thought they were gonna eat me…and you didn't say anything!?!"

"Oh, you're not still upset are you?" He frowned and began walking away.

As much as the little guy annoyed her, Chelsea couldn't stand the thought of anyone being upset because of her. "Aw, come on. I'm not that mean. It's just that you need to warn people of these kinds of things. You'll tell me about anything new that happens, right?"

"Yeah!" the Harvest Sprite spun around beaming with joy. 'Mood swings?' Chelsea pondered to herself as she made a mental note.

"I promised them I'd visit again, so which way is their house?" The ecstatic little sprite pointed her in her intended direction and disappeared.

There was no distinct path to get to the islanders' home so, hoping she was going straight, Chelsea fumbled through the jungle. After being foiled by a good amount of tree roots and mud puddles, the farm girl's face brightened as her eyes set on the odd looking dwelling. Walking towards it, she wondered how it survived through the rough weather the island suffered during the summer. Perhaps the leaf roof was more secured than it looked? Meeting with the door, she knocked.

"…..girl…..?" was Wada's gruff response, "…..come in…..." Stepping inside, Chelsea noticed the lizard hanging from the man's mouth. As he moved, firmly concentrated in whatever he was mixing together, she could see the reptile jerk around with his movements. It reminded her of the straw Taro always chewed on. She laughed a little, imagining Taro in tribal ware. Wada raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, is Shea here?"

"….no….hunting…."

She sat down feeling out of place. 'I guess I have to wait till he comes back…' she thought. Wada sure wasn't the talkative type. Sitting there in silence she looked around the room. Spears and skins lined the walls. There was huge carving of a bear blocking what looked like a hallway. 'Wait, there are tigers and bears here?' Chelsea was no jungle expert, but she was pretty sure bears and tigers were never found in the same region. This jungle was very strange. The wait felt like forever and the silence was killing her. In fact, it was just plain akward. 'Shea, please get here soon.' She pleaded to herself as she watched Wada search his shelves for something or another. 'Why is this taking so long!?!'

* * *

The next chapter will be longer and more Shea-filled. I promise! I'll be starting class again on Monday, I'm a freshman in college, but I'll still update.


	4. Delicious!

First and foremost, please forgive me! I know it's been a few weeks, but I'm _not_ on Hiatus. You see, on Jan 31st my friend, and also my beta reader of sorts, asked me out. I was so distracted with having a boyfriend that I went on dates rather than posting. I will post regularly now. This chapter is longer and has lots of Shea stuffed in it. Thank you for reading and for adding my sorry to your alert lists! It means so much to me!

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Waiting for Shea was like watching plants grow: it soon lost its splendor. She tried starting conversation a few times, but Wada merely glared back at her or gave her a low growl of annoyance. He seemed very concentrated in whatever he was doing. 'Perhaps he was a witchdoctor of sorts' she pondered as she silently watched him throw various items into the small pot in front of him. As she silently questioned whether or not the lizard in his mouth was alive or not, a puff of smoke surfaced from the pot and the tribal man grinned. He poured the contents into a more permanent container and placed the finished product on the shelf among his various other potions and medicines. The man turned around facing Chelsea and exclaimed, "Done...now…can talk…!" It took Chelsea by surprise. She had been sitting in silence for so long she had forgotten that Wada could speak.

"How long will Shea be gone?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Shea…find…dinner………take…long…time" Chelsea sighed fiddling with the soles of her red boots.

"Oh…"

"Woman…ask…questions…before?" He raised an eyebrow. Chelsea was a bit confused by this sentence at first. It was a bit vague, and the broken English didn't help. After a few seconds she realized Wada was referring to her attempts to start conversation. At least he could've addressed her by name.

"Hehe, yeah..." she felt on the spot and tried to muster up a question, "Um… where's the rest of the tribe?" She knew it was an abrupt question. Maybe she shouldn't have asked because Wada's eyes got big and he proceeded to look away. He seemed very uncomfortable, and Chelsea regretted saying anything.

"…gone…" It was barely an answer, but she didn't dare press on. Before the situation became even more awkward, there was a thunk at the door before it swung open revealing Shea…holding a wild pig! He was crossing the room when his eyes caught Chelsea and immediately he forgot what he was doing, dropping his day's bounty on the ground.

"Chelsea!!!!!!!!!" he nearly screamed as he ran over to her. He was ecstatic, his grin so wide it looked like it hurt. Chelsea's attention, however, was fixated on the carcass sitting in the middle of the room. It took everything in her not to throw up, she didn't want to insult her new friend, after all. He followed her gaze and puffed out his chest. "Shea is best hunter! Find big food for Chelsea!" He was obviously proud of himself and oblivious to her horror.

Wada, who had been his usual silent self, finally spoke. "Shea…move food…now." The boy picked it up and, moving past the bear statue, brought it out back. After a minute or two he ran back inside, shaking the water off his hands, presumably from having washed them.

"Chelsea keep promise!" he grinned sitting next to her while he finished wiping his hands on his clothes, "Shea very happy."

"I'm glad you came back. I came earlier than I did yesterday, but I didn't realize you would be hunting…" She noticed his head swaying back and forth as he looked at her, "What?" she asked feeling awkward.

Shea made eye contact again, "Oh. See woman for the first time. Different looking. Weird clothes."

"You're the one with weird clothes." She remarked slyly.

"No! Chelsea clothes weird! Shea no know red animal that look like this!!!" He yelled pulling on her red rubber boots. Chelsea couldn't help but laugh. Shea looked a little embarrassed by this.

"Hahaha! Silly, my boots aren't made from an animal! Hehe…" He looked confused for a second, looked out the window, and back at her.

"How Chelsea stay warm? Snow almost here. Fur warm." He was right. It was only the beginning of fall, but you could already feel the chill in the breeze.

"I'll stay warm, don't worry. So, Shea, what do you do for fun?"

"What mean?"

"You know, what do you do when you're not hunting?" He thought for a moment biting his lip.

"Me climb trees, and swim, and draw in dirt, and…and…race animals, and…other things." He smiled again. "What Chelsea do fun?"

"I like to cook, go to festivals, fish, talk to the Harvest Goddess, have parties…" as her list grew so did Shea's confusion; the tribal boy truly had no idea what most of these activities were. Still, Chelsea was more than eager to tell Shea everything about herself, so he just nodded with her, enjoying the sound of her voice, as she continued, "… and have sleepovers, sing, and explore new parts of the island. That's how I found you! I saved up a lot of money and had Gannon build a bridge to the jungle."

"Gannon" he thought for a second, "oh...that big animal that make lots of noise other days. Bang a lot. Shea no go near because Wada say Shea no hunt animals bigger than Shea, unless have to." Chelsea held back a chuckle. Poor Gannon. She had heard Lanna commenting the other day about how he looked like an ape-hippo. Now even Shea thought he had been an animal. "Walk outside?" Shea asked, getting up. She was more than happy to leave the silent hut and followed. "Where Chelsea been hiding? Shea know almost whole jungle, never see you." He moved from her side to in front of her, masterfully walking backwards over rocks and twigs to maintain eye contact.

"That's because I live over the bridge, on a farm." She noticed Shea's facial expression and elaborated, "A farm is where you grow food and raise animals." He nodded and smiled again. His surprisingly white teeth stood out against his tanned skin.

"So Chelsea keep animals close so she no hunt for food? Good idea…how keep animals there?"

"No! Well, it doesn't really work like that. I don't eat _my_ animals. They give me milk and eggs… And cows don't really try to run away." He didn't seem to really understand, but he ignored it.

"Chelsea eat what Shea hunt?" He asked stopping for a moment. The farm girl grimaced a little, remembering the carcass from before, but simply nodded 'yes' in response. She could at least try it. "Great! She work extra hard to get pig! Very excited that Chelsea visit." He merrily moved back to her side.

"I'm just happy you didn't kill me when we first met." She jokingly said not meaning to send Shea into a panic.

"Sorry!!! Shea no see woman before! Shea…"

"I know! I know. It's ok. We're friends now, right?" She said placing her hand on his arm. He was surprised by the action and flinched a little, pulling back. Chelsea pulled her hand away. He began grinning again and both of them felt better.

"Shea glad Chelsea is friend. Glad there's another person." He spun around and ran to a nearby tree. Chelsea franticly looked about for what caused such alarm, in the process spinning around and tripping on a fallen branch. From the floor she looked up at Shea laughing at her, leaning against the tree. "Hahaha, Chelsea so silly when she run in circles. Chelsea talks lots too. More words than Wada ever! Hehe. Come! We go back and eat." Her face slightly pink with embarrassment, she walked back with him trying not to trip on anything else as she did so.

When they reached the house again, the pig was still cooking. It was over an open fire, rotisserie style. As bizarre as it looked, it smelt delicious, and Chelsea was more than happy to receive a free meal again. Shea showed her where to sit and proceeded to sit next to her.

"I've never eaten a pig like this before," she told him, "But I'm always trying new things. I wonder if it'll taste like bacon. I haven't had bacon since I left the city."

"What bacon?"

"Oh! Well it's pig, but…uh…it comes in thin, wavy strips and you fry it." Her explanation didn't really make anything clearer.

"Chelsea no eat same food as Shea?" he tilted his head to the side, curious.

"Well, I eat mostly vegetables, eggs, and fish because I have it on my farm. I don't need to hunt for food like you do."

"Shea hunt fish too! Maybe Chelsea hunt fish with Shea tomorrow?"

"I love fishing! That sounds like fun." She smiled as she clapped her hands together with joy.

"Shea tell Wada…WADA!!!" He yelled towards his father who was standing near the pig.

"Wada…hear!!!...Quiet." Chelsea noticed the difference in their speech. Yes, it was broken, but Wada seemed to use little to no words, while Shea at least attempted complete sentences. It was interesting.

"You speak English very well, Shea," she commented, smiling.

"What English?" Chelsea was taken aback. 'How could you speak a language and not know what it's called?'

"The way you talk. You know, the words you use. That's English. It's different than the language of your tribe, right?"

"Uh…" he contorted his face in a desperate attempt to think harder, "yes? You mean other words Wada say from books?" It was now Chelsea's turn to be confused, but Shea tried to explain, "Wada know other words from tribe long time back. Use for magic!" Wada nodded with an agreeing grunt. There was obviously a lot to learn about her new friends, but she'd save her other inquiries for another day.

The pig was delicious, and her hosts hilarious. Wada dug in and, excusing the pun, pigged out on his pork. Chelsea had truly never seen anyone eat with such vigor. Shea, on the other hand was more focused on Chelsea's stomach than his own. Her modest slice became a mountain of meat as Shea cut slice after slice for her. The farm girl was hungry, but for the first time this year she felt so full that she could explode. Shea applied a new mountain to her wooden plate and poured some kind of gravy-like sauce over it. Chelsea held back her gags. She literally couldn't take another bite.

"Shea…no! I…really…no more!" she gave the plate back to him.

"Something wrong?!?" worry filled his face, "Food not good!?!"

"No. No, it's good. Delicious, but right now I'm too full. Honestly!" Shea stared at her intensely until he grinned with satisfaction.

"Shea believe you!" He grabbed her plate for himself.

After everyone had their full, well except for Wada who still claimed he was hungry, Chelsea knew she had to make leave.

"It's getting dark, and I have to get back to my farm."

Shea frowned, "Chelsea no stay?"

"I can't, I'm sorry. My animals depend on me being there to feed them. I really need to go," She got up to leave.

Shea sighed and walked over to the wall where he kept his spears. He saw the frightened look on Chelsea's face as she turned pale.

"Haha! Chelsea look funny. No worry, spear not for you." He walked towards the door, "Dangerous animals at night. Shea walk Chelsea to bridge!"

"That's very nice of you. Thanks." She turned to Wada, "Thank you for letting me stay for dinner, Wada."

"Woman…come…again…welcome…" He grinned, the lizard once again in his mouth.

"Thank you." She turned to Shea who looked all too ready to escort her.

"SHEA BE BACK SOON, WADA!" He hollered as he ran out the door. Chelsea followed as she waved goodbye.'

Walking to the bridge Chelsea noticed how the jungle transformed at night. The trees were shaded with a threatening yet alluring tone, and the sky was a beautiful shade mixed of orange and pink. She could see the silhouette of a flock of birds against the sky, and began to think about why her side of the island never seemed as beautiful. She looked towards Shea who was looking every which way for potential danger. She found his over-alertness kind of cute. As he looked about he went on and on telling tales of his hunting experiences and how, as he put it, "Shea is strongest! Live to hunt!" Chelsea thought it completely fascinating how different his world was from hers. He was so enthusiastic about hunting too. It reminded her of when she first started farming; she wanted so hard to be successful that she'd work until she passed out. Sometimes she worried that she wasn't as lively and enthusiastic as she used to be about farming. Recently the days seemed to repeat, as she performed the same tasks over and over, that is, until yesterday when she met Shea.

"I want to be more like you, Shea!" she interrupted. He looked back at her, not knowing how to react. "You care so much about being the best you can be at hunting! I want to be the best I can be too." He grinned widely and did a little jig in place.

"Then Shea teach Chelsea to hunt too! Then be best, like Shea!"

"That's not really what I…."

"Tomorrow Chelsea hunt fish with Shea! Shea cannot wait!!!!!" Chelsea decided not to ruin his fun. Besides, she rather enjoyed fishing.

They met up with the bridge and Chelsea could see the lights from the café and diner. It had just turned dark and she was happy she made it back in time. Looking up at Shea, she noticed the amazement in his face as he stood perfectly still.

"How… long this here?" he finally said.

"Hehe, I forgot you've never seen a town before. Well I got here in the spring, and the town has slowly been growing since then."

"Ah…" Chelsea could tell he was trying to take in everything, as if it would disappear.

"It is dark, but do you want me to show you around the town?"

"NO!" he seemed panicked, scared even, "...uh…Shea go home now. Meet Chelsea on bridge tomorrow?" he kept looking from the town to her.

"Of course!" She put her hand on his shoulder though he flinched at the contact, "Don't be scared, the jungle's more dangerous than our happy little town."

"Shea NOT scared!!!" He yelled pulling back and stepping away from her. Through his tan, and the darkness outside, she could still see a faint blush on his face.

"I'm sorry. I think you're very brave. The bravest! You were even nice enough to guide be back here. Thank you."

He sort of smiled, "Shea wanted to. See tomorrow!"

"Bye Shea, goodnight!" He waved as she crossed the bridge and walked off. The jungle boy took a few more minutes to stare at the world over the bridge before returning back to his home.

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Yay! I'm very happy with this chapter. What do you guys think? Comments? By the way, when my Beta reader read the part about Shea bringing in the pig, he imagined the boar demon from Princess Mononoke. Now I can't read it the same…R&R


	5. Girly Talk

Yay! I'm already working on the next chapter so it shouldn't take as long to post. Thanks to everyone who put this in their faves list. I feel so loved! Don't forget to leave comments so that I know what I'm doing right or wrong, or just so I know what your favorite parts are. The chapter is not that eventful, but the next chapter will have fishing fun! BTW, Humans vs. Zombies is on my campus right now, so after target practice I would write, but it was hard making it all girly and fluffy when I was shooting people all day. Teehee. Well, here you go!

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Walking back, it was nearly impossible to see. Chelsea _had_ focused on funding the bridges, after all, and lamp poles and _actual_ roads were a luxury that had yet to be added. She was used to wandering around by the light of the moon, but her clumsiness never made it easy. She fumbled blindly across the field, passing the well Felicia and Mirabelle always chatted at, and waved hello to Lanna's stalker. Tired from her long, eventful day, Chelsea dragged herself into West Town. Passing Mirabelle's, she came to a halt as it donned on her that she had completely forgotten about Julia. It was only 8:10, so Chelsea ran in, hoping she hadn't made her best friend mad. As she burst in she slipped on the doormat, her face meeting the ground within seconds. It was just her luck that Mirabelle saw the whole thing, and the hearty woman couldn't help but burst into laughter as she leaned on the counter. She caught her breath and smiled.

"Hehe…I'm sorry dear, but you sure know how to make an entrance!" She walked over and helped the very embarrassed Chelsea up, "What's all the panic about, hun? Your chickens didn't attack you again, did they?"

"NO!!!" Chelsea looked away, her face burning scarlet. Mirabelle was never gonna let her live that day down, was she?

"Dear, don't get so worked up over it. That was a long time ago, and you were just starting out. Now I'm guessing you're here to see Julia."

Chelsea nervously fussed with her hair and laughed, "Hehe, yeah. Is she in her room?"

"Sorry dear, but no. I've sent her out back to stock our newest shipment of fodder. You know, you should use all that money you've been making to buy another cow, so yours doesn't get lonely"

Chelsea sighed, "…Well, I'm actually broke. The bridge to the forest was 55,000g." Mirabelle rest her hand on the farm girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, dear. As soon as your crops grow you'll be back on track. It's amazing how you manage to do all that you do by yourself. We're all so proud of you." She turned and opened the door to the back room, calling for her daughter.

Chelsea loved being around Mirabelle. Even though Mirabelle always teased her, the single mother was always more than willing to take Chelsea in. She was the closest thing to a mother that Chelsea had on the island. The farm girl hated thinking about how much she missed her mother, who still resided in the city. Chelsea had written letters every week, but it wasn't the same as talking to her. 'If only my telephone worked…' she thought.

Julia walked in, patting the dust off of herself. "About time you showed up," she teased as she gave Chelsea a hug.

"Sorry, Julia! I have a good excuse, I promise. But first you have to tell me about your boy news." Julia shh'ed her while looking at her mother who was opposite them, sweeping the room. Chelsea got the hint, and the two scurried into the blonde's room, giggling. The brunette plopped herself at the foot of the bed, eagerly awaiting the big news. Julia shifted back and forth, squeezing her favorite pillow, deciding on how she should begin.

"So…um…well I think I might really like someone on the island…" her flawlessly pale face burst into color as she began.

"Let me guess!" Chelsea exclaimed, bouncing in place. Exciting things rarely happened on the island, so she was going to make the most of it. "Does he live in West Town?"

"YEAH…"

"Ok, so it's not Pierre! Hmm…I know it's not Denny because you hate the smell of fish…that leaves…*gasp* But Julia, I thought you hated Vaughn!"

"WHAT!?! Ew, it's not him!" She scowled.

"But who else our age…NO!" Chelsea struggled not to burst into laughter as a smile forced its way onto her face. Julia looked embarrassed and pissed off at the same time while she strangled her pillow.

"It's not funny! He's a really nice guy!"

"Hahahaha! But…but, Julia…he's so…"

"Oh shut up!" the beauty's face turned redder as she chucked her pillow at Chelsea's head. She had a strong arm, and Chelsea flew off the bed. Slightly dazed, she shuffled herself up, sitting on the floor with her arms resting on Julia's legs.

"Julia, I'm sorry. I won't laugh anymore. But, it is Elliot, right?

"Yeah…I figured you would laugh, but he's so nice, and Natalie really doesn't give him the credit he deserves."

"At least you have somebody in mind." Chelsea climbed back up on the bed beside her friend.

Julia gave her a look, "What do you mean by that? I'm pretty sure nearly every guy on the island has got his eye on you," poking the farm girl playfully.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm telling the truth!" she smiled brightly, "Even Vaughn smiles at you. Vaughn never smiles at anyone." They both laughed at the obvious truth.

"Oh, yeah! Julia, I have some exciting news too."

"Really? Is it about a boy?"

"Yeah, well…not like that, but it does involve….let me explain. First, you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even your mom."

"Why?"

"Just promise."

"I promise, Chelsea. But why all the secrecy?" Chelsea looked around to make sure nobody was around to hear.

"Ok, you're not gonna believe me, but…I was exploring the jungle yesterday, when I saw this pig. I went to get a closer look when out of NOWHERE this spear comes flying at me! Lucky for me I fell back and it missed, but when I looked up there was a wild jungle boy staring at me!" Her arms waved about as her hands emphasized what she was saying. Julia sat in silent disbelief for a few seconds.

"What!?!" Julia grabbed Chelsea's shoulders, "Are you serious?" Her eyes widened with amazement.

"Yes! His name is Shea, and he lives in the Jungle with his dad, Wada. They're all that's left of their tribe"

"Oh my Goddess! That's the most exciting thing I've ever heard!" She bounced up and down, shaking Chelsea as she did so.

"You can't tell anyone about him. I don't think he's ready to meet everybody. Apparently I'm the first girl he's met." Julia gave her a weird look and smirked.

"I understand. You're just trying to keep him to yourself…"

"Julia! I can't believe you. First of all it's nothing like that. Second, I just met him yesterday."

"Haha. Ok….So is he cute?"

"Julia!" The blonde just sat there, waiting for an answer, "…Fine, I don't know. Is that good enough?"

"How can you not know?"

"Maybe I was too distracted by the spear that almost hit me to notice, or maybe I don't assess the cuteness of every person I meet because I'm too busy trying to befriend them." She playfully stuck her tongue out at her. The two laughed again, both happy that they had revealed their exciting news. For the rest of her visit, Chelsea retold everything she did from the moment Shea introduced himself to when he left her at the bridge that night. Chelsea was quite good at telling stories, or at least she was entertaining while she told them. Her encounter with the Jungle's inhabitants had been so odd that she didn't even have to exaggerate. Julia was amazed, and kept asking all sorts of questions Chelsea didn't have answers to.

"Like I said, I only met him yesterday. I barely know anything."

"And you're sure his clothes came from a _tiger_?"

"Or something very close to it…I mean, I've never heard wildcat noises here before, but there's that whole other part of the island, you know, where that mountain is."

"The one you can see on your farm? I guess that's possible…and you said it's like a skirt?"

"Yep. It went to right above his knees. And then he had these cool arm thingies on his forearms, oh, and there were some on his legs too…"

"But no shirt?"

"No, Julia. No shirt." It was Chelsea's turn to give her a look.

"Wow. I'm jealous. It's not every day you go outside and discover a tribe. You have to come back tomorrow night and tell me what happens!"

"Well, it might be late. You won't mind?"

"Goddess, no! This is so exciting!"

"Ok. Well, I should head out. Bye, Julia!" She hugged her friend goodbye, with an extra squeeze.

"See you tomorrow!" Julia smiled and walked her to the door. As she waved she hollered, "Be careful when you go back there!"

Chelsea turned past Taro's house and dragged herself back onto her farm, knowing that tomorrow she'll be just as tired.


	6. Fishing Fun!

I'm a horrible person for taking this long to post. I'm sure bitterness has grown in your hearts from waiting, but fear not for I will see this fanfic to the end! Please review and give me feedback. I'm typing the next chapter already, and it won't take a year to post.

After satisfying the needs of all her plants and animals, Chelsea emptied the tools from her backpack. She figured it smart to have a light load today so that she wouldn't tire out as easily. Grabbing her trusty fishing rod that Taro had bestowed upon her, as well as a few light snacks, she shut the door and hurried toward her destination. She successfully maneuvered her way about town without being spotted and checked behind her before crossing the bridge. She was moving too fast to notice Manfred materialize directly in front of her, and she tripped, landing on the short elf-like sprite.

"I'm so sorry, Manfred!" She shuffled around, picking him up and sitting upright. Her fishing pole lay beside her, the line a tangled mess. Manfred looked like a limp doll.

"Uuuuugh…" he groaned, "I thought you didn't hate me anymore. What did I do this time?" He gave her a sad, pathetic look.

"You didn't do anything. I'm so, so sorry. I was in such a hurry and I didn't see you there, but, I mean, what do you expect when you're invisible half the time…Not that this is your fault. It's my fault! I'm sorry." She gave the sprite a hug and rocked him back and forth slightly, "Please forgive me."

"Well, I guess. But you need to start being nicer to me or I'll tell the Goddess…"

"I will be. Now, Shea's house is that way, right?" She pointed towards the path she'd taken yesterday. The brush still showed signs of her clumsy entrance. With a sigh and a nod the harvest sprite confirmed her path and vanished again in an array of sparkles. After much struggle and carefulness on her part, the dwelling was in sight. Made mostly from mud, the outside structure was cement-like, and decoratively covered in plain skins and twigs. The roof, looking like a giant pile of huge, exotic leaves, must've had some other unseen structure below it that could bear the weight of the rain and abuse of the local storms. Chelsea wondered if they had built it themselves, or if it had been constructed at a time when there were other members of the tribe. In any case, all of this information had been taken in and processed quickly. The farm girl knocked on the door, crossing her fingers that she had arrived neither too early nor too late.

"Chelsea!" an excited Shea exclaimed from inside. The door flew open revealing Shea bearing an enormous grin on his face, "Shea so happy you here. Already sharpened spear for hunting." He turned around, merrily making his way toward the spear rack on the back wall. Chelsea entered behind him.

"Wait, I thought we were going fishing. We are going fishing, right?"

"Yes. We hunt fish today, Chelsea." He turned in her direction, spear in hand. "What that?" he asked, staring at the useless looking fishing rod that was still a tangled mess. Chelsea looked down at it and embarrassingly laughed. The rod really looked pathetic.

"It's my fishing pole, but on my way over I tripped over a Harvest Sprite and the line got all tangled"

There was a moment of awkward silence. Shea stared at her like she had two heads until finally he asked, "What a Harvest Sprite?"

"Oh! Um…nothing. Hehe…" It was probably best not to mention that she talks to invisible magical elves and a living deity that lives in a local spring. At least, not yet. Of course now she was being intensely stared at by Shea who was trying to decipher her strange, unknown secret. He may not have had much experience with people, but he wasn't dumb. Her quick cover up had not saved her, and Chelsea began to worry what the spear-wielding jungle boy would do next.

"Not nothing! What you hide? We no hide things from tribe!"

"I'm not…"

"No lies." He said seriously, squinting his eyes and tightening his lips. He almost looked like Wada the way he lowered his brow, disapprovingly.

"I'm not going to lie to you Shea. I wouldn't be a good friend if I did." This brought a satisfied smile to his face.

"Good. Now what Harvest Sprite?"

"Well, I can't tell you," Shea's mouth opened to interject but she continued, "I have to ask permission first! You see, so don't get mad."

"Chelsea ask…father?"

"No. Someone else… Aren't we supposed to go fishing, Shea?"

"Yes! Get fish for dinner." He turned and grabbed another spear, "Pole not sharp, not strong, won't go through fish. Chelsea borrow spear today. Bring one next time." He nodded, extending his arm straight out towards her. She grabbed the spear, leaving him a free hand to grab a basket. He marched off toward the door exiting the house only after shouting, "Shea go hunt now!" to his father. Chelsea, on the other hand, stood there with the fishing rod in her left hand and the spear in her right, slightly confused. It took a grunt from Wada to get her to realize that Shea had gone. She jumped, startled and embarrassed, and scrambled out after her strange new friend. Wada was now the only one left in the house. With the annoying chatter finally done away with and no more interruptions, he continued working on his medicines. He was wary of the strange young woman that found them. There were other people where she came from, and he feared that history would repeat itself. Yet, he had a strange sense of hope. Maybe her arrival would be a good thing for both Shea and the tribe. Maybe the Goddess had plans. He chewed on his grilled lizard and tried to concentrate on his task, but he kept distracting himself with thoughts.

"…Fish are easiest to hunt. Fish don't attack. Usually. We hunt not with pole, but spear!" Shea raised his spear high over his head. He looked like a conquering hero or a legendary warrior as he proudly posed in this position chest out, one leg upon a nearby rock, his free hand in a fist. Chelsea, sitting cross-legged in front of him, untangling her fishing line, had been happily listening to her young teacher. He was very expressive and hilariously serious. The vigor in his fishing speech would put Denny to shame, and the broken English made the topic so much more fun to listen to.

"Are you going to demonstrate?" she asked smiling, hoping for more amusing poses. Shea lowered his arm, holding his spear now like a staff.

"No. Shea now show Chelsea how to catch fish."

"That's what I asked…" but Shea ignored her and moved into the water. Chelsea scooted closer to get a better look and Shea spoke quieter, his gaze scanning the water below him.

"Stand in water. Be still and patient, like tree…When fish is close, strike well." He stood still as a statue, his eyes the only thing moving. Abandoning her nearly unknotted fishing line, she watched silently. The sound of the water rippling, the breeze lightly passing through, and small, unseen animals rustling through the leaves filled the air like a song. The sunlight danced on the water's reflection, and Chelsea wondered how much of Shea's unique skin tone was thanks to constant exposure to the sun and how much was thanks to his ethnicity – whatever it may be. Then, without warning, Shea quickly and skillfully plunged his spear into the water. The still noise was interrupted with the sound of splashing and excited cheers from Chelsea as she energetically jumped up and down. It was a medium-sized fish that, though impaled, was still flailing about. There was blood, but Chelsea had gotten used to the sight after fishing so many times with Denny and having him show her how to scale, gut, and fillet them. Though it wasn't his biggest catch, Shea was beaming with pride. It felt good to see Chelsea so excited about something so normal to him. Fishing was something he'd always done, but with Chelsea there, clapping and cheering…well, it was nice. It was really nice. Shea felt a new happiness in his heart. It was close to the feeling he got when Wada was proud of him and told him he was a good warrior. But unlike Wada, Chelsea smiled so easily. He wanted to be a good teacher, just like Wada was to him, and show her more things that he was good at. Shea knelt down across from Chelsea and pulled the fish off his spear, holding it out for her.

"Thank the animal you hunt. Respect it. Waste no part of it."

"Um. Thank you, fish! I hope you will be very yummy." She giggled feeling silly talking to a dead fish. At least when she talks to her chickens they respond, even if it was just clucking. It was a sweet gesture to thank the food she ate. She had never thought about it, but with a smile, decided that from now on she would do this, lest no animal become her dinner in vain. Shea laughed at her a little, and she looked up at him.

"Haha! Chelsea no have to thank fish out loud. Can just think it inside." He got up and placed the fish in his basket, not witnessing the embarrassed Chelsea's face turn red, "This fish good size. We can give to Wada." He turned to see Chelsea's head buried into her knees, attempting to hide her face, "Not sleep now. More to learn." Chelsea composed herself and looked up allowing Shea to continue, "Last thing. Catch only what you need. That is most important! Got it?"

"I understand, Shea." She wasn't going to tell him about all the extra fish she always caught to make a profit. He wouldn't understand. Besides, other people who didn't fish would buy them, so she wasn't being wasteful, "Can I try now?" He nodded in response. She took off her red rubber boots and one long, white sock with blue waves patterned in three rings at the top when she noticed Shea staring at her, his head slightly tilted, "What?"

"Strange clothes. Very colorful." He said kind of awkwardly while shifting his weight.

"Oh. Thanks I guess. These are my fishing socks," She stuck her lone socked leg up for him to see, "They have little blue waves on them. I wore them just for today." She removed the special occasion sock from her leg and waded into the water. The jungle boy picked it up and stared at the pattern for a short period. Still holding the sock, he turned his attention to the girl in the water, trying to balance while holding the spear up the same way she had seen. It was an amusing sight, and Shea sat on a rock and enjoyed the show. Holding her other arm out for balance, Chelsea was desperately trying not to fall over as the rocks below her feet shifted and the river continued its flow. She could hear Shea laughing behind her. Whipping her head in his direction, she flashed him an angry look. The sudden movement caused her to lose what little footing she had, sending her splashing into the water. Shea was laughing harder now, rolling back and kicking his legs. Soaked, Chelsea got up in a huff. Wielding the spear yet again, the farm girl was filled with new determination. '_Like a tree'_. Taking her instructions more literally, Chelsea dug her feet into the river bottom and rooted herself in place. She stiffened herself and stilled her breath, and then the waiting began. But the silence was less serene this time… full of tension. As Chelsea held her position, water droplets fell from her still-drenched body, making little rings and ripples in the water. She could feel the wild man's eyes on her, grading her performance. _'Can't mess up…'_ At last a fish swam by, comfortably circling Chelsea, unaware of the danger it faced. Chelsea struck the spear down creating a disturbance in the water. Pulling the fishing implement out, Chelsea stared at the fishless spear in despair. All that buildup for nothing; the little fish escaped and was nowhere to be seen. The girl just stood in the river defeated. Shea felt pity for her. The drips of water streaking down her face might as well have been tears. He knew the sadness she must've felt- the same shame he experienced when Wada tried to teach him. He was much younger then, but his father wasn't the most understanding when it came to failure. He waded into the water next to her, awkwardly patting the girl on the back. He never had to cheer someone up before, and was at a loss as to what to do.

"It ok. First time always hard. Shea not always strongest warrior. Practice lots…um…Chelsea no cry, ok?" He grabbed both of her shoulders firmly, trying to make her look at him, "Warriors don't cry! Be strong. Try again." She was still avoiding his gaze, her head facing away.

"…Ok…" It wasn't like Chelsea wasn't used to practice. Taking care of the farm was a big first for her, and almost everything took more than one try to get the good quality products she desired. Still, it was hard not being discouraged when everyone always expected her to succeed. Taro put so much pressure on her to win the festivals, and Regis always made a point to insult her when the gems and ores she shipped were less than satisfactory. She couldn't fail without disappointing the whole town and because of that every mistake she made felt detrimental. Chelsea took in a breath. Shea wasn't insulting her, and though he had laughed, he was next to her now, ready to help. She looked straight at him now, her confidence rising. "Alright. I can do this!" She smiled at him which caused the boy to smile back, giving her shoulders a light squeeze and letting go.

"Ok, do like this." He took position and she copied him. They were both quiet while they waited. A light wind passed through the stillness. Chelsea concentrated on the water around her. A few fish had come to say hello, but it wasn't the right moment to strike. Chelsea's gaze may have been on the water, but Shea couldn't help looking over at the girl beside him. It was hard to believe that just yesterday, he had found her. She dressed so strangely and looked very…different. Her skin, though tanned from farming, was so light compared to his, and her eyes were bluer than the sky. Shea never thought that eyes came in that color. Wada never said anything about it. The jungle boy wasn't sure why she looked so unusual. Her body was so unlike his own, but maybe all women looked like this. After all, this was the first one he met.

Suddenly Chelsea struck her spear down into the water with all her might, splashing both herself and Shea in the process. The group of startled fish jumped about quickly and fled. One fish, however, had not been so lucky, and flailed about on Chelsea's spear. "I got it! Oh my goddess, I really got one!" She jumped up and down with joy, the water dancing about with her, "Shea, look," Chelsea handed him the spear for examination. It was just a small fish, nothing that called for that much celebration, but he gave her an approving nod anyway and handed it back. Chelsea merrily made her way to shore, silently thanked the little fish, and placed it in the basket. Shea was not far behind her.

"Good! Now Chelsea a warrior too! But still a child. Try hard and you'll be a great warrior! We will be strong warriors together." He pounded a fist over his heart. Chelsea did likewise and gave him a cheerful grin, "Now need more fish." The two returned to the water, spears in hand. Shea's skill was apparent: by the time Chelsea could catch a fish, the boy already had three. The girl went to go for another one when Shea grabbed her spear from behind her. "Catch only what you need. Have enough." Still holding on to her end of the spear, Chelsea followed him out of the water. Shea placed his last fish in the basket, and the two, soaked but happy, headed back to the lone house in the jungle.


	7. Promises

I hope you love this chapter. The next chapter is mostly from Shea's point of view. R&R please. I would love feedback.

Walking back was difficult for Chelsea. Avoiding tree roots and foliage was hard enough for her, but now she was barefoot. With boots in hand, and her socks stuffed inside, she followed Shea with cautious steps, praying that mud was what she was stepping in. When one lives on a farm full of animal droppings, one learns to question the ground. Nevertheless, the jungle floor was cool and moist, and by the time the two reached their destination, Chelsea's feet had a _lovely_ earthy coating that she was _more_ than eager to remove. Shea signaled for her to wait, and continued inside with the basket of fish. After a minute or so, and some muffled talking, he reappeared with a small cloth.

"For feet." He said, handing it to her.

"Thank you." Chelsea wiped as much as she could off her feet, but it was no replacement for a good shower. She was still slightly damp, and now smelt much like the jungle around her. She would have to deal with it later because Shea was beckoning for her to come inside.

Shea looked annoyed, walking over to the doorway beside the bear statue. "Wada say woman stay here. Shea go clean fish." His arms were crossed and he huffed, "Chelsea no leave yet, ok? Wait for Shea."

"Are you sure? I know how to scale and gut fish. I can help."

"See, Wada?" He gestured his arm in her direction, "Can help! Why no let Chelsea…!"

"Shea….Go!" Wada cut the argument short with an even shorter sentence. His glare was authoritative, serious, and downright creepy. Chelsea wasn't sure what she did to cause the argument, but being left alone with Wada was the last thing she wanted. Shea knew better than to keep protesting, and stomped outside. "…Come…..sit" Wada's voice was suddenly calmer. Chelsea looked over at the man who was patting the pillowed seat next to him. The situation was growing even more uncomfortable. The tribesman seemed composed, but Chelsea was still uneasy as she slowly made her way across the room and sat. There was an uneasy moment of silence until Chelsea attempted to apologize, though for what she wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry I…Well, I didn't mean to cause…" The nervous girl quietly began.

"Woman…..no….sorry."

"…but," He held out his hand to cut her off again.

"…..Wada…..explain…..Woman…..not tribe….not yet." It was hardly a coherent explanation. The man was choosing his words wisely and Chelsea could guess why: a secret. Whatever was behind that house, Wada obviously didn't want her to know about it. Her mind raced through images of human skeletons… bloody sacrificial altars… a boar's head on a pike that whispers – Wait! As usual, her imagination was getting out of hand. Though she had just met them yesterday, Chelsea was sure that they were good people. Granted, they were strange, but they had never tried to hurt her – not on purpose anyway. Whatever was back there must be important to their tribe. She was an outsider and it was unrealistic to expect them to trust her right away. She would just have to be patient and resist the urge to sneak behind the house later on. Her thoughts now restrained, Chelsea noticed Wada staring at her, waiting for a reaction. What was she supposed to say?

"…I understand that I'm not part of your tribe. I promise I won't go back there." Wada grinned, looking very goofy in the process.

"Thank!….…Woman…..always…..welcome….." He gave her three hard pats on the back and got up and checked the pots over the fire. The aroma was mouthwatering. Ascending from her seat, Chelsea stared into one of the pots. There was… cabbage boiling. Cabbage! It was impossible. Cabbage was a spring crop, and it wasn't like the tribesman had a grocery store to go to. Wada was sprinkling some spices into another pot when he noticed Chelsea glaring at the cabbage. The girl looked disturbed, sitting motionless with so much intensity in her expression. He positioned himself beside her and stared at the boiling vegetable. "…What wrong….?"

"Oh Goddess!" The comment made her jump, bumping into his head. She wasn't expecting him to be so close. Wada stumbled back rubbing his face, "I'm sooooo sorry! Oh…I didn't mean…Cabbages! CABBAGES!" Chelsea dramatically pointed at the pot. Wada raised an eyebrow, but before he could question the girl Shea ran in from the back.

"What happen? Chelsea hurt?" His hands were covered in scales and blood.

"No! I'm, I'm fine. Sorry for yelling," She turned to Wada, "Sorry for hurting your head..." She looked down, embarrassed that she caused so much commotion.

"Shea almost done. After wash hands come back…" He returned to his duties outside. As Wada continued checking on the food Chelsea sat down, keeping out of the way with her thoughts to herself. She could smell the cabbage – its scent silently taunting her.

Eating dinner was less eventful than preparing it. Chelsea thanked her fish again before consuming it, and Shea kept offering her more food than she could handle. The two men weren't really much for talking, and nobody questioned her outburst from earlier. Chelsea was amazed that the cabbage and the other out-of-season vegetables tasted so fresh. Still, she kept quiet. These guys were definitely hiding something and these vegetables had something to do with it.

It was when the room began to glow with the sky's oranges and reds that Chelsea knew she had to go home. The last thing she wanted was to get lost in the jungle at night and "meet" the wildcats whose relatives had become clothing. She stood up and walked over to her boots.

"It's getting late," she continued as she applied her socks, "I need to get back to town before the sun goes down."

"Oh…Shea walk Chelsea again?" He walked over and knelt by her side.

"If it's not too much trouble." He smiled and walked over to his spears. He selected one but before taking it off the rack he looked back at the colorful girl putting on her boots. Yesterday he thought she was a dream, a vision of some sort. She came out of nowhere. Waking up this morning, he was worried she didn't exist. But she returned, they hunted fish, and now… "Ok, Shea! I have everything. We need to hurry if we're gonna beat the sunset." Shaken from his thoughts, Shea nodded and took the spear off the rack, "Thank you for letting me come over, Wada. I'll keep my promise. Goodbye!"

"I be back, Wada." He walked out the door, spear in hand and knife in its sheath, wondering what promise she made. It was a good thing he was taking her back because Chelsea had already started her trek in the wrong direction. After turning her around, he and the red-faced girl continued on their way to the bridge.

The night crept up on them fast, and they could hear the smaller animals of the jungle scurrying back to their homes. The harmless rustlings of the jungle fauna gave way to louder, more ominous ones as the predators began their nightly prowl. Shea was alert, but used to the noise. It was Chelsea who was uneasy. She had left her tools at home and felt very defenseless. She couldn't comfort herself with conversation either; Shea had already indicated that she be quiet. The jungle seemed a lot less magical this evening, and Chelsea realized how reckless she was for coming here alone in the first place. She silently thanked the Goddess that her new friend was willing to escort her back. A distant growl made her quicken her pace, closing the gap between her and her protector. The jungle boy could feel her inching closer to him and sensed her fear. He stopped and turned to face her, his manner serious.

"Warriors not show fear. Fear tell animals you weak. Eat you then." He puffed out his chest and gave her a nod before turning around again. Unfortunately, the "pep talk" sent Chelsea's mind on a rollercoaster of trepidation, playing out varying scenarios in which wildcats, bears, and other beasts viciously mauled her and ate her alive. It was when she was envisioning tiger-printed squirrels eating her brain that Chelsea slammed into Shea. The slightly dazed girl, now on the ground, looked up. The young man looked at her for a moment and then returned his gaze to the world over the bridge. She watched him, his mouth slightly ajar, his eyes curious yet fearful. His grip tightened around his staff, his shoulders tensed, and his breath was still. What was it that he was so afraid of? The new-ness of it all, or the idea of a town itself? After all, he knew what a town was, and there were abandoned houses when they first crashed on the island. But something wasn't right – Shea said he had never met another person.

And there they were: she in the dirt and him frozen in place. Both were silent. Both in wonder about each other's worlds. The autumn wind blew gently past the edge of the jungle. It seemed that time froze in the silence, but time couldn't stop forever and the silence had to be broken.

"Chelsea…" He was still facing the bridge.

"Yes?" She pushed herself up out of the dirt, and maneuvered herself so she could stand next to him. She looked up at the taller, darker boy who still hadn't finished his sentence. He turned his head and looked at her, their eyes meeting.

"…is this real?"

"The town? Of course."

"Is Chelsea real?"

"Yes!" She laughed. What kind of question was that?

What he did next she wasn't expecting. He dropped his spear. A strong hand grabbed her arm, the other hand her cheek. What…what was he doing?

"Chelsea is real!" He smiled in relief. He released her arm and was now gripping her face with both hands, squishing her cheeks together. Chelsea grabbed his wrists and tried pulling away, but Shea made sure she was staring at him, and kept her in place, "Chelsea not disappear! Forbid it! Promise Shea."

"Ok, I promise. Let go of my face!" she pulled back and he released her. She took a few steps back placing herself out of his reach.

"Now can't break promise. Shea happy Chelsea not disappear."

"I still have to go home. Uh…I have lots of farm work I need to catch up on, so I won't be able to come back tomorrow" She looked away as she rubbed her cheeks.

"But…"

"I won't disappear! I'll be here in two days. So, not tomorrow, but the day after. Ok?" She saw his eyes sadden and his smile vanish.

"…Ok…" he sighed, "Just… no break promise."

"I'll be back in two days!" She smiled trying to lighten the mood. She ran across the bridge, enthusiastically waving back at the jungle boy when she made her way over. He lightly waved back, and watched her walk away, fearing that she would vanish into thin air. The sky grew darker and he knew he should head back, but his eyes desperately followed her shape until only her red boots were faintly visible, and with a blink he lost sight of her.


End file.
